Serena Williams’s iconic black catsuit from the 2018 French Open and Coco Gauff’s outfit from the 2023 US Open are preserved in prestigious locations, but most athletic wear doesn’t end up in museums. Tennis players accumulate massive amounts of gear, leading many to wonder about its final destination.
Emma Navarro, new to the sponsorship scene, shared that she donated dozens of shoes to Soles4Souls, a charity distributing clothing and footwear globally to those in need. Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula, overwhelmed by the surplus from Adidas, regularly donates her excess gear, including national team uniforms she reuses from tournament to tournament.
Many players, like Elise Mertens, ship their used outfits abroad, while others, like Lindsay Davenport and Caroline Dolehide, donate locally to places like Goodwill. Dolehide, influenced by her upbringing in Chicago, personally distributes shoes to the city’s homeless.
Athletes also engage fans by giving away personalized items at events, and unsponsored players like Taylor Townsend, who must purchase their gear, tend to keep their sports attire.
Beyond charity, some items enter the high-stakes world of memorabilia auctions. Prestige Memorabilia, for instance, trades in rare sports artifacts, including a shirt worn by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s racket from his 2007 French Open win, fetching significant sums.
Thus, while some player gear achieves historical significance or fetches high auction prices, most find new life through donations, supporting both community needs and fan enthusiasm.
